Trifusion

I am finding my toes are getting cold during my morning commute.

Anyone else find this and have a solution? I find I can layer fine elsewhere but having difficulty figuring out what to do for the toes.

No issues later in the day.

Thanks

Greg

treadtread

Try layering with thin nylon socks?

Drew Eckhardt 

Shoe covers.

Pain

Toe covers.
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...08_-1___202515

catonec 

I use chemical toe warmers similar to these and neoprene shoe covers

fietsbob

You using the summer uppers partial mesh bike shoes still?

LesterOfPuppets

When it gets chilly and rainy I don't mess around.



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telkanuru

I find those pedals are pretty sweet for commuting regardless.

rumrunn6

chemical toe warmers

Steely Dan

yikes, if your toes are already going cold on ya in september, you're gonna have real problems come january.


for me, my toes don't get uncomfortably cold unless the temps are in the 20s or lower, and i too use chemical warmers to keep my toes toasty when it's freezing out. no amount of layering or warm shoes or shoe covers or anything else seemed to work for me. an artificial heat source is the only thing that i've found that works reliably.

Trifusion

Was 5C this week, I guess cold is an overstatement, cool might be more accurate. Enought to be noticeable but not uncomfortable at all. I'm clipped in which probably doesn't help.

Goretex boot covers are too pricey and artificial heat would be too hot. I'll probably just get a toe cover and switch out my peddles.

Thanks

Greg

demoncyclist

You don't need to switch pedals with toe or shoe covers- the toe covers fit in front of your cleats and the shoe covers have a cutout on the bottom.

Trifusion

I'm thinking my foot will move more without the SPD and generate not a lot but a bit more heat.

Think so?

storckm

Have you tried thick wool socks? When it's really could, I put on two layers of wool socks, and that works for me.
I have more hand problems in the winter, even with two layers of glove inside wool mittens.

Keywords: Wool, Layers.

consumes

wool socks and boots ...

Bike Gremlin

Works for me:

rekmeyata

You pour the Brandy over your toes when you get home, then light a match to your feet, they'll be hot in no time. You may want to first drink a bunch of the brandy beforehand.

Actually you have some great ideas offered. Get a pair of touring or hiking shoes that have more foot enclosure and less ventilation then normal road shoes, get wool socks instead of polyester, use half covers or I think their also called toe covers, but they cover front half of your shoe, also a complete shoe cover will also work but those are normally used for temps below 35. And Performance had good prices on their shoe covers and are pretty decent and their cheap. I have a set of Performance half covers and I like them just fine and they only cost $12.

chefisaac

it neoprene socks from gator. They are amazing at keeping you warm. Yes you will sweat in them but to be honest, thats a trade off I wanted to make.

cyclokitty 

Definitely add my voice to "wool socks" for cozy toes on commutes. Thin wool socks for mild chilly days, medium wool once it gets cold and rainy, heavy wool socks in the winter, then back to medium, thin, and finally bare feet in my bike shoes.

telkanuru

Do be careful, however, that you don't put on too many socks and constrict the circulation to your feet. It sounds silly, but you can actually make them colder by adding more layers, particularly if you have tight-fitting shoes.

cyccommute 

demoncyclist already covered the need to switch pedals. I'll cover the rest.

Think of keeping your feet warm as a sliding scale. The colder it is the more protection you'll need. Also as you get warmer during the ride, your feet will probably get warmer. Start with your feet a little cool rather than just right.

For your 5C temperature, you could use a shoe that is less well ventilated. I have a pair of Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seeks that are just awful for warm days...10C or above...but really nice for fall temperatures. I've added fleece...sheep...liners to them and taped over the cleats to make them warmer. I usually okay with these shoes down to near 0C.

As the temperature drops, start using thicker socks but only if your shoes are big enough. I buy them at least 1 size too big and usually 2 sizes. For lower temperatures, go to neoprene shoe covers. Performance Bikes makes some lined ones that are a great product. They are cheap and wear like iron. Be forewarned that the sizes on the Performance covers is a bit bogus. I wear Euro size 46 (size 11 US) winter shoes and have to buy the largest shoe covers Performance sells to go over the shoes. The Alps have a very aggressive lug which exacerbates the problem. I have another set of 'winter shoes' that don't have lugged soles which I use below freezing.

For cold..down to 0F, I wear a knee high wool sock which you used to be able to get from X-country ski shops but those have gone the way of the dodo. Oddly, fishing shops sell them for wearing under waders. I wear these alone of with a thinner sock under it to trap even more heat. As stated above, you don't want to have any constrictions. Wear shoes bigger than normal.

cyclokitty 

Yah, that's easy to do: load up on socks, marvel at the warmth, then suffer thru numb and frozen feet later. My cold weather shoes and boots are a 1/2 size larger than my normal size and that helps avoid getting that pins and needles feeling.

lungimsam

I have some clipless style shoes with netting material on them.
I put a piece of duct tape over the front of the shoe to cover the netted area. Good all the way down to 45 degrees. No wind gets in through netting, and toes/feet are toasty.
I never rode much below 45F.

kookaburra1701

Another one for wool socks. I knit these socks out of a 60% wool/20% silk/20% nylon blend, and they are very comfortable in very cold weather and in warmer weather too. Wool and silk are great for keeping your feet cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold.


If you do a knit-purl type pattern like I did, it creates some waffle-effect too, which warms them up, and also adds stretch to the fabric.

Big Lebowski

It dipped below 40 last week and my toes were frozen after 22 miles in my Specialized Tahoe shoes, so I invested in a pair of Swiftwick wool socks, but they are not enough. I just ordered a pair of Pearl Izumi toe covers.